The List
by Donnamour1969
Summary: Fifth story in my post-Sonata series. Vampires are being murdered, and Mick must find the list of victims before the next one dies.
1. Chapter 1

I wasn't expecting the call from the Cleaner, but I was quick to answer it. "Mick," she said in her breathy voice, "I've got another one. Maybe we should call the council together."

This was the third vampire corpse she'd found this week, after anonymous tips of the bodies' locations. At first, she was annoyed because no one could reimburse her for the time and trouble it took her team to clean up the kill site and dispose of the body. The second one, she called me about, as sort of a head's-up. The third body of the week, and she was worried. We both were.

"Same method of death?"

"Yeah, a clean beheading. No sign of a struggle. A female this time. I recognize this one. Her name is Nicole Davis.

"I've seen her around too. No doubt we've got a serial killer now. You think it could be a Van Helsing kind of job?" Vampire hunters weren't unknown to us. I just hadn't heard of one in decades, and certainly not in LA. It was hard to take a vampire by surprise, so the fact that there was no evidence of a fight among any of the other victims led me to believe that the killer was either known to them, or was something not easily detectible to vampires.

"It could be. I haven't destroyed this body yet. Thought you might want to have a look."

"Take it over to Guillermo for me, will ya? And let me do some investigating on my own before we get the council involved. What were those three locations?" I jotted them down and then I called Josef.

"Hey, Mick. Haven't heard from you since the pool party." I wasn't touching that one. Beth and I had borrowed his pool a week ago, and since then, she and I had been rather "preoccupied" with one another.

"Yeah, well. I've been kinda busy."

"I'll bet. So, what else is uh, up?"

"Meet me at the morgue."

"Got carried away with Beth, eh?"

"Not funny, Josef."

"You're sounding a little on edge, pal. What's going on?

"The Cleaner called me again. That's three down this week. We got a name this time though. You remember Nicole Davis?"

He was quiet on his end a moment. "Yeah, I remember her." That reaction could only mean one thing—he'd been involved with her.

"Well, her body is at the morgue. Maybe Guillermo can tell us something."

"I'll see you there." Josef seldom got involved in any of my cases, and certainly had rarely gone to the morgue with me. Knowing the vamp made this personal for him—for all of us.

It was late at night, so not many people were around at the City Morgue. Guillermo always tried to pull the night shift for obvious reasons. Josef's office was closer, so he was already there with the Cleaner when I arrived. We gathered around the body. The head and body were of course separated, but the long, flowing, black hair and shapely figure attested that she had been very beautiful. Certainly Josef's type. I looked at my friend. I could see sadness there, but mostly, I saw anger at the waste of it all.

Everyone sniffed around but could detect nothing. No other vampire. Nothing else unidentifiable.

"Can you trace those anonymous calls you received?" I asked the Cleaner.

"I tried, and got a couple of my expert friends on it. No dice. It was a man's voice, very confident sounding. No emotion. That's all I can tell you."

"Anyone want to come with me to check out the murder sites?" I asked.

"I didn't smell anything there, either," added the Cleaner.

"I'll go," said Josef quietly.

We all left, and I got in with Josef in his new black Ferrari. We went to the first place, an alley outside a busy club. It was two a.m., so the partiers were still in full swing. The Cleaner had done her job well with the first site. No evidence of anything remained. She had said it was a young Asian male, but whose scent of decay led her to believe he was at least a hundred years old. He'd had no identification or wallet on him.

The second site was in a middle-class residential area, in a neighborhood park. This site had been thoroughly cleaned, as well. The victim had also been male, middle-aged, again, with no ID. He was perhaps two hundred years old. Nothing to link the three victims. No similarities. The sites were far apart. The only thing they seemed to have in common was that they were vampires. Then, again, that might be enough of a connection to warrant their murders.

We went to the third site, which the Cleaner had left untouched. Josef had said little in the car and at the other locations. I could see him blanche at the blood stained sidewalk in front of the swank apartment building. The sidewalk was heavily enclosed by large trees and bushes. It would have been easy for a vamp to quickly decapitate her and run without being seen.

We looked around and saw little traffic, either car or pedestrian. The lobby of the apartment building was well-lit, but no guard or bellman waited outside. A code was required to enter the building, using a keypad near the door. I tried the doors. They were locked securely. I looked up and saw that most of the apartment windows were dark with the lateness of the hour.

Josef was breathing in the air around the blood stain. I joined him, but could detect nothing but the dead woman's own blood. It was hard to pinpoint scents outside, because the air carried them away quickly. The Cleaner and her crew had smelled nothing either.

"This was a professional job," Josef said. "In and out. The poor girl didn't know what hit her."

"What I don't get," I said, "was why they called for the cleaners if they're targeting vampires. I mean, why would they care if one of us was found?"

"I can think of two possibilities," said Josef thoughtfully. "One, the killer is a vampire. Or two, they are sending the rest of us a message."

"Maybe both possibilities are true," I said. "Tell me about her, Josef. Where did she hang out? Did she live in this building?"

"I never knew where she lived. She mainly came over to my place. I met her at a charity event about two years ago. I'm not sure if she worked. She seemed to be independently wealthy. She was newly turned—about ten years ago, I think she told me. I don't know anything about the specifics of her turning." He looked at me, a little of his usual sardonic humor entering his eyes and his voice. "She actually reminded me of you, Mick. A real girl scout. A do-gooder who wanted to make a difference in the world and not just feed off others. She was mainly a blood bag baby too, although I never saw her turn down a good-looking male freshie. I admired her. She hadn't yet become jaded by old age. I found her to be.refreshing," he finished wistfully.

"I'm sorry, Josef. I wish I had known her." He just shrugged awkwardly at my words.

"I want you to find the bastard who did this to her." His tone was rich with suppressed rage. "Spare no expense. My experts are at your disposal."

"I guess the only other thing I can think to do is start asking around. Other vamps might have some knowledge or insight. What concerns me also is that if she is well-known in LA, she's going to be missed, and that could lead to some difficult questions for us."

"She doesn't have any family around here that I know of."

"Well, that could be a plus," I said. We walked back to Josef's car.

"If you'll drop me back at my car, I'll head over to Logan's. He's got the most recent list of vampires in the area. I think he should send out an advisory." He remotely opened the car doors.

"Good idea. Say it's not the time for all of us to panic yet. We don't know what this guy is after. But forewarned is forearmed, I always say." He pulled out a long, thin box from under his seat. It contained a sharp-edged machete and several wooden stakes.

After Josef dropped me off at my car, I drove to Logan's basement apartment. He sent off the e-mail and a group text for those vamps in LA who used modern technology. I also asked him if there were any surveillance cameras near any of the murder locations. He checked, but found none.

"This guy's good," said Logan. "Almost as if he selectively chose these locations for their lack of surveillance. These days, it's a rare thing in LA not to find some business or stop light without cameras."

"Yeah, there's a lot that seems planned about this."

"What info do you have on Nicole Davis?" He plugged her name into the computer. Lots of pictures of her at social and charity events appeared on the screen. She was a real philanthropist, and a former debutante from a wealthy family on the East Coast. I wondered who her sire had been. Then I saw a picture of her cuddling up to Jeff Pollack, a vampire I'd seen around. I wondered if he knew about her death. Logan looked up his phone number and address for me.

"I'm going to see if I can get in touch with Pollack . If you hear anything back from any other vamps, let me know."

"You bet, Mick. Oh, and how is Beth?"

I was both annoyed and amused at his blush. I'm sure he was thinking of her in just a bra, as she was at our last poker game.

"That, my friend, is none of your business."

"I was just asking" I heard him call to me as I left.

I couldn't track down Pollack, but I left a message on his voice mail. I called Josef, and he had met the guy, but didn't know much about him. With three hundred vamps in LA, and probably several moving in and out every year, it was hard to keep up with the entire population. It was nearing dawn and I was at a dead end for the night, so I decided to head home for some sleep. I had a feeling tomorrow night would be a long one.

I woke up at about noon, drank my breakfast, showered, and gave Beth a call at work.

"Hey, Beautiful."

"Mick," I heard the smile in her voice. "Are you up for the day?"

"Yeah. I've got a case I need to work on, but I'd like to take you to lunch if you haven't eaten yet."

"No, I was about to just grab something from the deli. Your offer is much more tempting though. You must really love to watch me eat."

"You know I do," I said. "I'll drop by in about twenty minutes?"

"Great. See you in a bit."

I walked in to the DA's office, and walked past Ben Talbot's office. He glanced up and saw me through the glass windows. We gave each other a brief nod. About that time, Beth came out of her cubicle and headed my way. She hadn't seen me yet, so I stopped and watched her until she looked up and caught my eye. I was rewarded with one of her brilliant smiles. As soon as she got to me, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her passionately, right in the middle of the busy office, right in front of Ben Talbot. Now, normally, I wasn't one for public displays of affection, but this time, I thought I'd make an exception and analyze my reasons for it later.

We were lost in each other a minute or so, then Beth seemed to remember where we were and pulled breathlessly away. She looked around, nervous and embarrassed. Coworkers looked hastily away, some grinning knowingly. She spied Talbot, his eyes focused on us as he might a train wreck. Beth's eyes narrowed. Oops.

"Was that for Ben's benefit, or for mine," she hissed angrily.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, knowing full well I'd been caught.

"Don't you want to lift your leg on me too?"

"Beth—"Just then, I heard the muffled sound of Talbot's phone. Something made me zero in on him, while Beth continued to admonish me. I could also hear Talbot's heart accelerate at the sound of the voice on the phone.

"_You can mark three more names off the list now: John Wu, Luke Mineo, and Nicole Davis."_

"_But what does this mean," Talbot asked in exasperation. "Who are these people? Who are you?"_

"_One holds the key to all. We'll be in touch."_

Whoever it was hung up. Talbot was looking at me again, his expression unreadable, but I could still hear his unsteady pulse.

"Mick, are you listening to me?" Beth was saying, grabbing my arm and shaking it for my attention. I reached for her hand and pulled her, protesting to the door. Once outside, I turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry, Beth. Let's go get lunch."

In my car, she sat, fuming at me in silence, while my own mind was racing with what I'd heard. This was no coincidence. I didn't recognize the voice on the phone any more than Talbot seemed to. But what kept reverberating in my head was mention of a list. A list of vampires? A list of marks? There was no doubt in my mind that Talbot had just spoken to the killer. I had no choice now. I had to get Beth involved if I was going to get my hands on that list. I stopped my car in front of a little Italian bistro. I heard it was good and fast. I turned off the car and turned to Beth.

"I know you're mad at me. I know I deserve it. Yeah, I was marking my territory. Would you mind tabling this argument though—I've got something important to talk to you about." I saw her struggling to tamp down her anger.

"Fine," she said finally. "We can put this discussion off for now. But I'm just saying this has got to stop."

"Okay. I still want to buy you lunch though." I smiled my most charming and apologetic smile, then leaned over and kissed her lips gently. I was pleased to see her smile back. I guess I was off the hook—for now.

I got out and opened the car door for her, taking her hand as we walked in to the restaurant. Luckily, we were immediately seated. The place was dimly lit and romantic, and we were led to a cozy booth. She ordered water and a Caesar salad, and I ordered wine. I reached across the table for her hand.

"What's going on, Mick?" I took a deep breath and leaned in so she could hear my low whisper.

"The vampire community has a serial killer on its hands. Three have been killed this last week alone, and I'm beginning to think there might have been others that we haven't connected to them yet."

I told her about last night's investigations. She was suitably shocked.

"Why would someone do this? Don't most vampires live in peace?"

"Yeah, although new ones need a firm hold, the Cleaner takes care of any accidents, so nothing ever gets traced back to us. Most of us are very responsible for the protection of the whole. Someone has a vendetta against us, and I need to figure out who before anyone else dies. That's where you come in."

"Me? What can I do?"

"Just now, at your office, I heard Talbot on the phone with someone he seemed very wary of."

"That's why you weren't paying attention to me."

"Yeah," I said sheepishly. "Sorry. Anyway, I could hear the man on the other end tell him to mark three names off the list. One of them was last night's victim, Nicole Davis."

She sucked in her breath in shock. "You think Talbot has something to do with this?"

As much as I wanted an excuse to dislike Talbot further, I couldn't pin this on him.

"No, not directly. I don't think he knows what's really going on. But, Beth, he has a list, and I'm pretty sure it has the names of more victims to come."

"And you want me to steal that list for you," she guessed.

The waitress returned with our drinks and Beth's salad. She looked expectantly as Beth perused the menu. "What's your favorite Italian dish?" Beth asked me. I smiled as memories flooded back from over fifty years ago.

"Eggplant parmigiana," I told her.

"That's what I'll have," Beth told the waitress.

"Nothing for me," I said reluctantly. I was smelling the garlic bread in the basket in front of us, and while it no longer smelled inviting, it still reminded me of what I was missing.

When our waitress left, we resumed our hushed conversation.

"No, I'm not going to ask you to steal the list. I just need you to make sure I can get in and out undetected. Do you have a key to the building?"

"No, I'm not trusted with that much responsibility yet, I suppose. But there are guards twenty-four-seven, and I think someone is always working, even at night."

"But the offices close down on weekends, right? Government building and all?"

"Yeah," she said, "but people still come in to catch up. I think the best time would be a Saturday night. Security is pretty tight, though, Mick. Keypads, guards, cameras, checkpoints"

"You forget who I am," I reminded her, flashing a fang.

"How can I forget that?" she said, looking hastily around. "Well, tomorrow is Saturday. I can try to find out what Ben has up for the weekend."

"You're not thinking of asking him out?"

She chuckled. "Now that would serve you right, wouldn't it? It's not a bad idea, though, Mick. I'd keep him occupied while you get the list."

I didn't like this at all, but she had a point. "Would he go for that? I mean, I've made it pretty clear that you and I—"

"I'm not sure he would date a coworker; he's pretty by the book on some things. But if there was a case we were working on, or some kind of excuse to spend time together, yeah, I think he'd take me up on it. I'm sure I could think of something. Is that what you want me to do?" She took a bite of her salad.

No, I didn't want her to spend any more time with him than she needed to for her job. But I had to put my personal feelings aside. Lives were at stake now.

"Alright, see what you can do." We chatted about lighter things awhile, and I enjoyed the pleasure she took in the eggplant.

"It's not fair," she said as we walked out of the restaurant. "I smell like garlic, but you don't" She put her palm to her mouth and sniffed, then made a face. We sat in the car and she dug around in her purse for a mint.

"I don't mind," I said, stopping her searching hand. Before she could fasten her seatbelt, I pulled her across the seat and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "A little garlic isn't going to scare me way."

She laughed. "I'm glad it's not true what they say about garlic and vampires, or you'd be passed out about now."

"Do your worst," I said, my mouth close to hers, "I can take it." And I feasted on her lips.

After Mick dropped me off, I went by Ben's office. Judging by the wrappers from the local deli, he had eaten at his desk. He was in his usual position—phone at his ear, hands on the computer keyboard. He waved me in and I sat down in one of the chairs across from his desk.

Trying to be sly, my eyes scanned the papers on his desk. I could see various folders and copies of warrants, but not anything resembling a list. He finished the call and looked up at me.

"Did you have a nice lunch," he asked, not unkindly. "St. John looked anxious to take you away."

I felt myself blushing, remembering the show we'd put on for him. "Yes, it was fine, thanks. Look, I was wondering if you could help me with something, I mean, if you aren't busy Saturday night."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but so quickly was the expression gone, I might have imagined it. It must be his lawyer training, I mused.

"What can I do for you, Beth?"

"I'm having trouble understanding some of the legalese of the documents you've been giving me, especially where writs and warrants are concerned. Do you think you could tutor me? I feel so stupid sometimes, working here without a law degree. I know you're off Saturday, but I'd throw in dinner to repay you." I put on what I hoped was an earnest expression. He tapped his pen absently on the desk, considering me a moment.

"No plans with St. John on a Saturday night?" He asked.

"No, he's working on a case right now, so I thought this would be a good time, that is, if you don't have any plans." I thought about batting my eyelashes at him, but knew that would be a bit much. I began to feel uncomfortable under his unflinching gaze. I had the distinct impression that he didn't quite believe me. I admit my reason was lame. Maybe he'd interpret it as an excuse to be alone with him.

"Sure, Beth. How about eight o'clock? You have a suggestion of where?"

We agreed on a hamburger joint midway between our homes, something very public, and non-date-like. I thanked him and went back to my desk. Before getting back to work on an investigation into recent serial bank robberies, I grabbed my phone and gave Mick a call.

"Ben and I are on for Saturday night at eight."

There was a brief silence, then: "That's good, I guess."

"Now, Mick, think of the greater good," I teased. Jealous Mick could be cute sometimes, but we still had to discuss this territorial thing he had concerning Ben.

"We're just going to grab a burger and talk about the law. That'll give you plenty of time to get in and out of his office. There are no big cases pending for next week, so I doubt many—if any—employees will be here."

"Good. And could you go up to the top floor and unlock the top right window on the west side? That would make it a lot easier for me, and there won't be any signs of forced entry."

"I'll try, Mick. I don't know exactly what is in that room or if I can get in there."

"I've got every faith in you—and your lock-picking abilities."

I laughed. We were both quiet a moment, then I said: "What are you up to tonight?" I knew he couldn't miss my suggestive tone.

"Probably more investigating, though, unless there's another death or until I get that list, there's not much more I can do. Why?"

"You could come over to my place, if you want to." I could picture his grin.

"I could, huh? Okay, I'll be there if I can."

"I look forward to it. And Mick?"

"Yes?"

"I love you." It felt so good to say that to him. But still not as good as it was to hear him say it back.  
"And I love you, Beth. See ya later."

Saturday evening came without word of another murder. Beth and I had spent a quiet--but I don't mean boring—Friday night at her place. That woman still made my head spin every time I was with her. With the help of some bagged blood, I was able to spend most of the night showing her how in love with her I was.

When eight o'clock rolled around, I was making my way to the top of the DA's office building. I'd parked a couple blocks away. It was very quiet in this part of the city on a Saturday night, which was mainly composed of government buildings, all closed for the weekend. Only one car was parked in the lot. I went to the alley side of the building, using fire escapes when I could, just jumping when I couldn't. On the top floor, west side, I was pleased that Beth had managed to leave the window unlocked, so I kneeled on the ledge and slid it open. There was no screen, so my job was easy.

Once inside, I was in a storage room of some kind. Old desks and chairs were stacked around unused filing cabinets. With my natural night vision, I appreciated for once how being a vampire sometimes came in handy. The entire floor was dark, save for the glowing EXIT signs on each end of the hall. I jumped down the stairwell, not bothering with the stairs, and landed with what I hoped was a soft thud on the first floor.

I listened intently at the door a minute, but could hear nothing. I opened it and peaked out a crack but could see nothing but a few security lights and a dim desk light here and there. Talbot's office was diagonal from the stairwell door, but it was empty. I risked a text to Beth.

_Are you occupied?_

A minute later she wrote: _Yes. You're clear. _

As I walked out, she sent me one more message: _BE CAREFUL._ All caps.

I smiled at the thought of _her _worrying about _me_, then went quickly to Talbot's office. It was locked, of course, so I picked it and went inside, then closed the door softly behind me. Maybe five minutes had passed since I'd climbed up the building. I glanced at my watch and started my search on top of his desk. His desk was neat and orderly, much like its owner, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Neat stacks of documents and forms, a computer, a picture of what looked to be his Mommy. I smirked. I opened the desk drawers but just found office supplies and more forms. One drawer was locked. I jimmied it and it opened easily.

It was a file drawer. I recognized some of the names on the files—recent cases that had been in the news. Then I saw one on Beth. I pulled it out, but saw nothing that wasn't already public knowledge. Her kidnapping as a child. Her resume. A nice picture of her from college I'd never seen before. I flipped a few more files, and saw my name. I pulled out the file, opened it, and there it was. The list. I heard a noise and looked up. A guard was making his rounds through the floor. I ducked down under the desk. I hadn't had to turn on any lights, so I figured I was safe. Then the guard turned the doorknob.

I was trying to feign interest in what Ben was telling me, but worry about Mick made me distracted. I took a bite of my burger to try to mask my nervousness.

"So a _writ of certiorari_ is very different from a _writ of habeas corpus,_" Ben was saying.

"Hmmm…" I replied, my mouth full. Ben regarded me suspiciously again.

"What's this really about, Beth?"

I took my time chewing that last bite. "What do you mean?"  
"You didn't really come here for a law class. And these burgers weren't really worth giving up a Saturday night."

"You don't like your burger?" I asked, stalling.

My mind was racing. I was busted, but this still might be salvageable. I'd just have to be a better actress. I could come on to him, but I didn't think he'd believe that. I took a breath.

"I guess I was trying to butter you up," I said in a rush.

"For what?"

"To ask you….to ask you for a raise. I know I just started working for you, and maybe I should have negotiated for more up front. But I've had some uh, personal expenses, and I did take a pay cut when I stopped working for BuzzWire." I held my breath and prayed my outward show of nerves would be interpreted as nervousness about the raise, not as the fear he wouldn't believe me.

"A raise." He repeated. He looked disappointed for some reason. "Beth, I'd love to give you more, but the budget is pretty tight right now. It took a lot of needling of the DA to get you on in the first place, especially in your civilian investigator status. I'm sorry that I can't help you."

I didn't really need the money. Josh's bequest to me was padding enough for now, even though I did in fact take a pay cut to work for Ben. I had hoped to invest that money in my retirement, but until I was steady in this job, with hopes of a raise in the future, I kept it in the bank. I pretended disappointment in his words, but in fact I was pleased he'd believed my second lie.

"You didn't have to lie to me, Beth," he said, looking a little hurt.

"I'm sorry, Ben. I know I shouldn't have lied," I lied. "I'm just not very good at talking money with the boss."

"I hope you think of me not just as a boss." Uh-oh. "I hope we are friends, too." His hand reached out and covered mine on the table. I didn't want to encourage him romantically, but I also didn't want to ruin the good feelings we had going.

"We are friends, Ben. We've been through some crazy times, and you took a chance hiring someone like me, with no legal experience."

I suddenly felt the brief vibration of my phone in my pocket, letting me know I'd received a text message.

"I think this is working out fine, Beth. Your input has been invaluable. And like I said, I'd pay you more if I could."

"Thanks, Ben. Excuse me, won't you? I need to go to the ladies' room."

In the restroom, I looked at my phone. Mick: _Help. I'm trapped. _

_What do I do? _I typed back. A minute passed.

_Come to the office and get the guard's attention at the front door. ASAP!_

_I'm coming! _ Was my hasty reply.

I went back into the restaurant and gave Ben a look of what I hoped passed for being upset.

"Ben, I'm sorry, but I just got a call from a friend who needs me right away. Can I have a raincheck?" I pulled out some cash to pay the bill—I'd invited him, after all. He waved it aside. "It's on me. Anything I can do to help your—friend?" There was that skeptical lawyer's expression again.

"I'll see you Monday, Ben," I said, grabbing my purse and heading for the door. I know I was being rude, but it couldn't be helped. I promised myself I'd make it up to him, both the shortened meal and the lies.

When the guard had found Talbot's door locked, as I had automatically done upon entering, he moved along on his tour through the outer office, then, to my amazement, he came back to the desk right outside Talbot's office. He sat at the desk facing my way, and turned on the computer there. In a few minutes, he was surfing the net. Some security guard. He was no doubt there for the entire night shift, and I certainly didn't want to be caught there in the morning. Even with my ability to move quickly, there was no way I could get past him undetected. That's when I had sent the text to Beth. If she could just distract him at the front door, I could slip out and go back up to the window. The other thing I couldn't do now is leave the file here, and just take pictures of it with my phone as I had originally intended. I'd have to take the whole file and figure out a way to get it back somehow. I hoped Talbot wouldn't miss it for a few days. I stayed silent and still, waiting for Beth to save me.


	2. Chapter 2

I got to the DA's office and stood at the glass door, looking in. No sign of any guards. I began pounding on the glass. No one came. I pounded again. Soon a middle-aged man in a blue security uniform walked slowly to the door. He looked annoyed.

"Sorry, ma'am, the offices are closed." He yelled through the glass.

I pulled out my ID and showed it to him. "I know it's late, but I forgot something at my desk. Can I just run in and get it please?"

"No can do. You don't have the right ID. You're just cleared for weekdays. Sorry. Unless you were with someone with the right clearance, I can't let you in."

I sighed and looked around. I hoped I'd bought Mick enough time to get out.

"Well, thanks anyway," I said, and walked back toward my car. It was then I saw Ben Talbot, pulling in to the space beside my car. Busted again, I thought in dismay.

He naturally was surprised to see me.

"What are you doing here, Beth?" He asked as he got out of his car. "Is your _friend_ okay?" His slightly sarcastic emphasis on the word made me immediately defensive, but I still had a roll to play.

"I don't know yet. I just stopped to get something I left on my desk, but the guard wouldn't let me in."

He looked at me a moment, as if weighing his options. Then, he said: "I can get you in, if it's that important."

My phone suddenly rang. Thank God it was Mick. "Excuse me—I've got to take this." I prepared myself to lie again. "Yes, Simone, I'm on my way. I'm going now." I looked apologetically at Ben. "I better go. I shouldn't have stopped first." I waved absently and got in my car. "Mick," I said into the phone as I drove away. Ben watched me leave, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Did you get out okay?"

"Yeah, that was close."

"Where are you?"

" I'm about two blocks north, in the Stake and Fang Pub parking lot."

"You're joking me. I've never heard of that place. Sounds like something a vampire would call his bar."

Mick laughed. "It's Daryl Morgan's bar."

"I'll be there in a minute," I said, and hung up. I definitely remembered hunky Daryl Morgan from my recent crashing of a vampire poker game. He looked like a body builder with the face of Brad Pitt. I certainly looked forward to seeing _him_ again.

I pulled into the lot where Mick was, leaning coolly against his classic Mercedes convertible. He opened my door and helped me out. I fell into his arms, relieved that he was safe.

"I hated lying to Ben like that," I said against his hard chest. "I hope you found that list."

"I did," he said, holding the file up by my face. I pulled away in surprise.

"You took the whole file? Mick, if he finds that missing, he'll know I had something to do with it. I just ran into him at the office."

"He can't prove anything, Beth. And I'll get it back as soon as I can copy it." He leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Thanks for the rescue. I just knew I was going to have to sleep on Talbot's floor."

"You wanna go in?" I asked, indicating the bar.

"No, maybe some other time. It's a fun place. Can we go back to your place? It's closer than mine."

"Sure. Follow me." And I got back in my car and led the way home.

I parked near Beth on the street in front of her condo, and we walked inside together. The folder was underneath my jacket, seeming to burn a hole in my side.

"I called Josef to join us, if that's okay," I said. "He'll be here in a few minutes. Or, knowing Josef's driving, he's already here." My joke fell a little flat. I knew she was still worried about Talbot and the missing file.

She unlocked her door and let us in, turning on lights as she entered. I made myself at home in her living room, taking the file out and setting it on the coffee table.

"Can I get you a drink? I have some wine."

"Sure," I replied absently, opening the file. This time, the list was not on top of the documents in the file. I was. Talbot had several pictures of me, taken in sequence, as I had been hit by a car, then tossed on the road. In the last picture, Beth was helping me up, where, of course, I had been unharmed by the hit and run. This had happened a couple months before, when the paparazzi were after me when I was working security for Tierney Taylor. She had just been murdered.

I suddenly felt Beth's presence near me, and I looked up at her. She held two glasses of wine, and they looked precariously close to spilling on her floor. Her eyes and mouth were wide in shock.

"Where did you get those?" she asked in a shaky voice, just above a whisper. It didn't take my vampire senses to figure out she had seen those pictures before. Her heart rate was through the roof, and I reached out to take the glasses from her before she could drop them.

"They were in the file," I said slowly, gauging her reaction. "Have you seen these before?" I was testing her; I hate to admit it. She didn't answer me.

"Beth, why didn't you tell me these pictures exist? They are clear evidence that I'm more than human. And obviously Talbot has seen them. Who took them?" She was still quiet, except for her pounding heart. She turned back toward the kitchen. Then it dawned on me. "It was Foster, wasn't it?" The celebrity photographer had been stalking Tierney, and me too, apparently. Her shoulders slouched forward, and her hands covered her face.

"Beth?" I said, rising to walk over to her. I put my hand on her arm and gently turned her around. She couldn't look at me. About that time, there was a knock on the door. She practically ran to it to get away from me.

"Beth—always a pleasure," Josef greeted her, walking past her into the room. It took him about two seconds to sense the tension in the air, and no doubt hear Beth's racing pulse. She caught his eye with a panicked expression, and it was then that I knew. Josef was in on this thing too.

"Mick," he said simply, masking his curiosity with his usual bravado. "Am I interrupting something?"

I held up the pictures. He saw them at a glance, then his eyes darted involuntarily to Beth. I was right. These two, the people I loved most in the world, had kept this from me. I willed myself not to get angry. To hear them out.

"So I'll ask you the same question, Josef. Why didn't you tell me these pictures existed?"

"Now, Mick, don't get your boxers in a twist. We were just trying to cover your ass."

"You couldn't have come to me?" I looked at Beth. I wish I hadn't. The tears were freely flowing down her face. I resisted the urge to comfort her until I got the truth out of both of them.

"And what would you have done, hmm?" asked Josef. "Packed your duds and left town? Tried to pay him off?"

"I would have gotten to Foster."

"And done what? Threaten him? That kind of guy wouldn't have been scared, and flashing your fangs at him would have just made things worse. No, Beth did the right thing, coming to me." So that was the way of it.

"Beth?" Now was her chance. She wiped at her eyes, sniffed once, and looked at me.

"I'm sorry, Mick," she said, her voice quavering. "I didn't know what to do. Foster wanted to blackmail me, just like he'd done countless others before. He was going to follow you, and I knew—Josef and I both knew—that eventually he would catch you in obvious vampire mode, and you would be exposed. All of you would be." She looked pointedly at Josef. "And you told me," she continued, swallowing hard. "You told me if someone threatened your secrets, you would have to move away… And that was something I couldn't bear." Her eyes were pleading with me to understand. And I did. I just wasn't ready to be over my anger yet.

I turned to Josef. "So what did you do, Josef? Was it the tar pits for Foster?"

"Eventually," he said simply. I knew I wouldn't get any more details than that.

I sat down in a chair heavily, and reached for the wine. I drained both glasses.

"I always wondered why Foster stopped harassing me so abruptly. I just thought I'd gotten lucky, I guess. I suppose I should thank you both, but I'm not feeling too grateful at the moment." We were all silent, then Beth walked over to me and kneeled down before me.

"You have saved me a hundred times over, Mick. Finally, this was something I could do for you. And maybe I was wrong to keep this from you, but I thought I could also protect you from the anger and anxiety of dealing with Foster. It wasn't totally selfish." She smiled a little. I reached out and touched her tear-stained cheek.

"What gets me, Beth, is how angry you've gotten at me for dispensing what you call 'vampire justice.' And here you are, not even a vampire, and saw fit to deal with him in much the same way that we dealt with the Monaghans."

"Hey, go easy on her, Mick—"

"Shut up, Josef!" I roared, still looking at Beth. "I'll deal with you in a minute."

She flinched at my outburst, then started to move away. I caught her hands.

And brought them to my lips. "Don't ever do anything like this again, Beth," I said calmly. "No secrets, remember?" She nodded silently, the tears still flowing in rivers down her cheeks. I kissed them away, and held her tightly to me. She clung to me in relief. A few minutes passed, and I stood up again, Beth still in my arms. I pulled gently away and turned to Josef, who was helping himself to the wine.

"Okay, Mick. Let me have it." Josef stood calmly, sipping his wine, a smirk lingering around his mouth. I walked over to him until we were nearly nose-to-nose. I willed my eyes to glow and my fangs to emerge. Josef merely raised an eyebrow.

"If you ever keep something like this from me again, Josef…" I began, trying to think of what I'd do, exactly. In all honesty, there was pretty much nothing I wouldn't forgive—unless it involved Beth getting hurt because of him.

"You'll what?" he encouraged, taking another sip of wine.

"I'll stake you to the floor for a week," I finally managed. He smiled, but only briefly.

"You would have done the same for me, buddy," said Josef, suddenly very serious. We both knew he was right.

"Yeah, but I would have told you about it first."

"Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was trying to help Beth. She was totally freaking out, believe me. And her reasoning was sound. I'd do it again; I'm not gonna say I wouldn't. But it's all out now, so let's get on with things. We've apparently got more damage control to do now. How did you find out about the pictures?"

I sighed heavily, releasing my anger. He was right; there were more important fish to fry. "It was in a file of Ben Talbot's. Along with the list." Amazingly, I'd been so focused on my own anger that I'd forgotten why we were all really here.

I shuffled past the pictures and took out the list. It was single-spaced, typed, and several pages long. I flipped through it quickly, scanning through every name. Speed reading was another perk of being a vampire. Mine and Josef's names were among the last names on the list.

But this wasn't just a list of vampires currently living in LA. This list dated back at least 2000 years. Names in history, government, sports, and religion from all over the world. Most of the historical names were pretty shocking, and I had had no idea these people had been vampires: Julius Caesar, Nero, Rasputin, the Marquis de Sade, Thomas More, Virginia Dare. One not so surprising name was the grandfather of all vampires, at least in popular lore—Vladimir Tepes, aka Vlad the Impaler. Recent deaths of vampires were crossed out, like the Monaghans, and Dr. Jeff Pollack. Talbot himself had apparently crossed out the names of the three new deaths this past week.

I handed the list to Josef, who just as quickly absorbed each name. This was bad. This was really bad. Josef met my eyes, and gave the list to Beth. I watched her expression as she read: shock, incredulity, fear. We waited patiently for her to get through the list at human speed. She looked bleakly up at us after reading our names.

"This proves nothing," she said at last, tossing the list with disdain back onto the coffee table.

"True," I agreed. "But it certainly would focus some suspicion on us."

"I can understand what it means to have names crossed out, but Julius Caesar? He was assassinated 2000 years ago. Why isn't his name crossed out?"

"How was he killed, Beth?" I prompted.

"He was….stabbed."

"Stabbing doesn't kill a vampire," said Josef.

"You mean, Caesar could still be alive? And the others, like the Marquis de Sade? Virginia Dare?"

"Unless they were beheaded or burned, they're still with us—somewhere," I said.

"They just went into hiding, changed their names. Started over again and again like so many of us have had to," said Josef, who had likely lost count of the times he had done it over his 400 years of being a vampire.

"Mick, some of these people were very evil. It's scary to think they might still be around."

"Not all of us are bad, Beth," I said needlessly, rubbing the bridge of my nose in mental exhaustion.

"This list makes no sense. This couldn't possibly be all the vampires who ever lived. You told me there were hundreds now just living in LA. There are only a hundred or so on this list."

"This could be a hit list," said Josef. "All of us on it must somehow have offended or harmed whoever composed it."

Something suddenly occurred to me. I remembered the conversation I'd overheard between Talbot and the killer.

"The killer told Talbot: 'One is the key to all.'"

"Well, that could obviously mean that if Ben figures out one of you on the list is a vampire, then all of them are."

"Or," said Josef, "One of us on the list knows who the killer is and why suddenly we all have targets on our, uh, necks."

"So, tell me, Josef," I said conversationally, "can you narrow down exactly who you've pissed off the most this past 400 years?"

Josef laughed. "It would probably be easier to decide who I haven't pissed off."

"So, what do we do now?" Beth asked.

Josef and I looked at each other.

"I guess we convene the council," I said. "Beth, can you copy this for me?"

"Sure. How many will you need?"

"Just one. The fewer we have around, the better. We've got to get the original back to Talbot's office before he misses it." She went over to her desk.

Just then, my phone rang. It was the Cleaner. I answered it with much trepidation. "St. John here."

"Mick. More bad news, I'm afraid."

"You got a name?"

"No. Same M-O. I'm at Sixth and Main." Josef nodded at me, having heard every word.

"We'll be there soon," I told her, and hung up.

"Another killing?" Beth asked. "Can I come with you?"

"It's not gonna be pretty, Beth," I said.

"Mick, after all I've seen after being around you guys this long, you know I can handle it."

Josef shrugged his acquiescence.

"Fine. We can take my car."

Josef sniffed. "Mick, if you don't mind, I'll pass on the 50's mobile. I'll meet you there." We were right behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

Part III

In his car, Mick brooded silently. I still felt a little in the dog house, but I had faith in our love, and that he genuinely understood what we had done. What he didn't understand was why we had kept it from him. My reasons had been mainly out of fear that he would leave, or be discovered, or both. But I didn't really blame him for feeling betrayed. I felt the same way when I had found out that Mick had kept from me that he had saved me from Coraline, and had been watching over me my whole life. He had done it to protect me, and while I was upset at first, I was able to forgive him completely. I had to believe that he loved me enough to do the same.

"Mick," I ventured, as we waited at the stoplight that Josef had just run through. "Are we okay?" I hated how needy I sounded.

He turned to me and reached for my hand, drawing it to his mouth for a kiss. His eyes shone with love as he looked at me.

"We're more than okay, Beth. I'm sorry to be so quiet. A million things are swirling around in my head right now. I love you. Nothing can change that. Nothing." He leaned over and kissed me until the cars behind us honked at us to move on.

From what I understood, there were several different Cleaners, all women, who were also part of the Vampire Council in LA. The particular Cleaner who met us in the alley near Sixth Street was tall, thin, and very tough. By the light of the nearby streetlight, I saw she was dressed head-to-toe in black leather, long, red hair pulled up into a tight ponytail. I couldn't help but think that a bullwhip would have completed her ensemble. She stood outside her van while her cleanup crew waited nearby. A black cloth had been laid over the body in the alley. Josef's Ferrari was parked nearby.

"Why'd you bring the human?" she said in her gruff voice, not even looking at me.

"She's with me," Mick said. "She knows everything. You have nothing to fear about her discretion."

I could tell she didn't like it, but she seemed to respect Mick's word. Josef was already sniffing around the corpse, but seemed frustrated. He lifted a corner of the cloth, but shook his head slightly. Mick and I joined him. Although I was prepared for a headless body, the ghastly sight of the beheading made me shutter. Even worse, I knew her.

"Mick," I said. "She works in the DA's office. Jessica Cunningham."

"What? How well did you know her?"

"I've just seen her in passing, chatted in the elevator. You never noticed her? Never uh, _smelled_ her there?"

"No."

I looked around at the other vampires. None of them seemed to recognize her, or know about a vampire in the DA's office.

"Do you know how long she's worked there?" Josef asked. I thought a moment.

"I think she started the same week I did." I caught the suspicious glances everyone exchanged. "Do you think that's more than a coincidence," I asked.

"Maybe," said Mick. "Worth looking into. She will be missed at work. There will be some sort of investigation when she doesn't show up after a few days. What is her job?"

"I don't know. It wasn't on the same floor with me, though."

"Go ahead and load her up," Mick told the Cleaner. "Again, no clues here."

The crew took a black bag and put the body parts into it, zipped it up, then loaded it into the van. Just then, Mick looked up, as if he had heard or smelled something.

"I smell someone else close. A human, very familiar." He inhaled deeply, looking around. "Ben Talbot is nearby. You'd better go," he told the Cleaner crew. Like a flash, they all loaded up in the van and sped off into the night. About this time, Ben Talbot walked into the alley.

"What's going on here?" He was looking at Mick, not at me.

"Just a few friends getting together," was his casual reply. "You've met Josef Kostan."

"Talbot," Josef nodded, not smiling for once.

"And those others, in the van. Who were they?"  
"Friends," said Mick.

Ben turned to me at last. "Beth, is anything illegal going on here?"

"Of course not. Are you following me?" I asked, trying to turn this around on him.

"No. I received an…anonymous tip that something was happening here. I had no idea any of _you_ would be here." We were all wondering just what he had seen…and heard.

Ben looked around where the Cleaner had just been, and saw the blood that they hadn't had time to clean up before they left in such a hurry. He walked over to it and squatted down, touching it with a finger. "This is blood," he said. "Was someone hurt?" He looked back at all of us, expecting an answer. None was forthcoming.

"I'll get some police out here and have you all brought in for questioning if I don't get some answers now."

"Why didn't you call them when you got the tip?" Mick asked.

If it was the man Mick said Ben had talked to earlier, I would guess that he had said no police. Ben's usual expressionless face seemed to flinch a moment, then relax. He suddenly seemed to make up his mind about something. He looked intently at Mick and Josef.

"I think you know why. I don't know what this is all about, but I'm going to figure it out, so I'll be watching you. And Beth," He looked at me, "I hope for your sake that you aren't caught up in something you won't be able to get out of. You could tell me all you know right now, and maybe I'd be able to protect you. I can't make any promises about later." When he saw that I was going to remain silent, he began walking back down the alley from where he had come. "Gentlemen," he nodded to Mick and Josef.

When he was out of sight—and smell—Josef gave a frustrated curse. "Why don't we just kill him now and get it over with."

"This isn't his fault," I said. "Someone is feeding him this information. And maybe holding something over him, if he is willing to come out here without police backup."

Mick looked thoughtful. "Or maybe Talbot's holding out until he can catch a bigger fish. The blood alone is enough to haul us all in. He's been promised something more, I'm sure of it." We began walking to our cars.

"What do we do about the fallout on Jessica Cunningham's death," Josef asked, poised to get into his car.

"Nothing, for now. But maybe Beth can do some investigating about her at work. Hopefully, when she comes up missing, we can cover our tracks. I'll arrange for the Council meeting tomorrow night."

"Keep me updated, Mick. See you around, Beth." He winked conspiratorially at me, then drove off.

On the drive back to my place, we were both lost in thought again. I didn't like the feeling of Ben being suspicious of me, and especially of the vampires in my life. I knew there was a lot I would have to answer to him about on Monday.

"Oh, we need to go back by the DA's office and put this file back," Mick said.

"Okay." He headed back in that direction. When we got there, another car was in the lot.

"Too late," I said. "That's Ben's car."

"Dammit!" Mick slammed his hands on the steering wheel. We drove right on past without turning into the lot.

"I'm sure he's realized it's missing. He'll know right away it was us."

"No way to prove it, Beth." My phone rang.

"It's Ben," I said, looking at the screen. "What do I say?"

"As little as possible, I guess."

"Where's the file, Beth?" Ben asked without preamble.

"What file?" I replied, hoping I sounded innocent.

"Beth, tell that boyfriend of yours that I'll bring you both in for breaking and entering if you don't get that file back here." Mick held his hand out for the phone, having heard the entire conversation.

"Talbot, you've got proof of nothing. Suppose you tell me what's in this file, and maybe we can help you."

"Don't play games with me St. John. Bring back the damn file or Beth is gonna pay for this, one way or another." I didn't need vampire hearing to hear Ben's raised voice on the other side.

"Are you threatening her, Talbot, because that would be totally unacceptable." I could feel the anger coming off Mick in waves. For a brief moment, I feared for Talbot's life. Suddenly, he made a u-turn--one-handed, no less--and headed back the way we'd come.

"Meet me in the parking lot of your office, Talbot. We'll be waiting for you." And he clicked off my phone.

"Mick," I said frantically, "what are you doing?"

"I'm gonna kick his ass, that's what I'm gonna do," he said, icily calm.

"But you're right, Mick. He can't prove we've done anything."

"Beth, he's got surveillance cameras and a guard that place you at the office earlier tonight. And who knows? I might even be on them. He has us at the scene of a crime, with blood on the ground. No proof, but plenty of circumstantial evidence. We need to have this out, or we're just going to keep having to deal with his interference."

"Are you saying we should tell him the truth?"

He thought a moment.

"Enough of it to keep him off our backs awhile. Let me do the talking. I want you as distant from this as possible."

I hated to state the obvious: "Mick, I'm in this up to my neck. I'm here with you, and was there at the crime scene. You can't protect me from this one." He turned his head toward me, and I got a rare smile from him. Mick was generally a serious person, so when he graced me with a smile, it was like a gift.

"Maybe not," he said, "but I'll die trying if I have to."

He turned into the parking lot, and Ben was waiting by his car, a determined look on his face. I took a deep breath, and braced myself for what was to come.

When I saw Talbot waiting for us in the parking lot, I had to almost physically tamp down the rage I was feeling at him for threatening Beth. Me, I could take care of myself. If he wanted to drag Beth into what was essentially a vampire problem, I might just have to kill him, and damn the consequences. I didn't bother telling Beth to stay in the car; I had long ago discovered she didn't know what was best for her.

I could feel my eyes and teeth start to change at the sight of him, so I took a few calming breaths and willed myself not to give him any more ammunition against me. I tried to act cool as I got out of the car. Beth was beside me a moment later, as Ben walked over to me, holding out his palm.

"Give it back, St. John."

I reached back in through my open car window, fished out the file, and slapped it into his hand. The copy was still in Beth's purse. Then, I grabbed Talbot by the collar and shoved him up against my car, getting right up in his face.

"Don't you ever threaten Beth again, or I'll mess up that pretty face of yours." I released him immediately, but I knew he must have felt my barely harnessed strength. It had taken a real effort not to break his neck. As if fully expecting the attack, he straightened up, adjusting his collar, seeming totally unruffled. The man must be made of steel. I'd hate to play poker with him.

"Well," he said finally, "now that you've gotten that out of your system, suppose you tell me how you found out about this list."

"Some guy called me out of nowhere, said you had a list with my name on it, and said he'd be in touch." I hoped he was believing my lie. "I had to get a look at it myself."

Ben nodded. "So you're telling me you don't know what this is really about?"

That question I could answer honestly. "No idea. He called back tonight to tell me someone had been killed on Sixth Street, that I should be there. I called some friends for back up. We got there, and there was nothing. And the rest, you know." I could get no sense of what he was thinking. His damn heart rate was even normal.

"One of those friends of yours, Josef Kostan, he's on that list too. What about the others who were with you?"

"No."

"Why would you and Kostan be on the same list? What have you guys done to get somebody so mad at you?"

I laughed genuinely. "I'm a PI. I've had a hand in putting lots of bad guys away. Josef is in business and has stepped on a lot of toes. Your guess is as good as mine."

Talbot pulled out the pictures of me from the file. "How do you explain these?"

I was ready for this one. "Looks like someone had some fun with Photoshop. I mean, look at me. Do I look like I've been hit by a car lately?"

He smirked but said nothing.

"Now I have a question for you," I said. "If you're so damned suspicious of me, why aren't the cops involved?"

"Well, except for possibly breaking and entering, I don't have proof any crimes have been committed. No bodies. Yet."

We were at an impasse. We both knew the other was just giving half-truths, but there was nothing either of us could do about it.

Except for her gasp when I'd grabbed Talbot, Beth had been quiet up till now.

"So, do I still have a job?" She asked. He looked at her intently a moment. I clenched my teeth and my fists as I sensed how much he appreciated what he saw.

"For now, Beth. But I won't lie to you. I don't like the company you keep. And like I said, I may not be able to protect you if some bodies do turn up. I'll see you Monday." Without another word to either of us, he got in his car and drove away.


	4. Chapter 4

Make-up sex with Beth was emotional, intense, and made me feel more connected to her than ever, especially with the added pleasure of biting her at the end. I'd had plenty of make-up sex with Coraline. It seems like most of the sex with Coraline was make-up sex. Or angry sex. Or jealous sex. Or I feel like killing you sex. You get the idea. But with Beth, it was a feeling of true forgiveness. Of true love—neither of which Coraline and I had even come close to.

Beth lay sleeping, curled up at my side. We were in her bed, and dawn was approaching. I knew I should go home soon and climb into my freezer. My temperature was uncomfortably high from our recent exertions, but the feel of her warm body sleeping so peacefully beside me made the discomfort more than bearable. I watched her, angelic with her long, blonde curls splayed over my chest and spilling over to her pillow. I couldn't resist kissing her sweet cheek, moving to nuzzle her neck, breathing in her flowery fragrance, and, even more exciting, the faintly detectable smell of her blood. I licked her most recent bite marks, and she stirred, moaning softly as I moved back to her lips.

"Mick," she whispered against my mouth. She reached up to pull me into her arms. Oh hell, I thought. The freezer can wait.

I woke up to find that Mick had gone. He had left a note by the bed: _You made me so hot, I had to get in the freezer. I'll call after the Council meeting tonight. Love, Mick_

I stretched luxuriantly, grateful it was Sunday. It had been a long, emotionally draining night. Our lovemaking had been the most amazing of my life. After that, I knew I was forgiven. I smiled, and even blushed to myself at all we had done in this bed, and how totally fulfilled I was. I couldn't ever imagine not wanting this man, not needing him. Like air. Like water. Like blood.

I spent the day relaxing, doing some laundry, running to the grocery store. I was so anxious about the meeting that night that I had to do something to get my mind off it. I decided to go to a movie. For laughs, I went to see the movie "Twilight," which had just opened. It kept my mind occupied, and I had to chuckle at this new portrayal of vampire culture. It's amazing how much Hollywood gets it wrong. I wish that Mick could have been with me. He would have thought it was hilarious.

I walked out of the theatre at 10 o'clock and checked my messages for the hundredth time. Nothing. I'd give him until midnight, then I'd call. I called Simone to see if she'd heard from Josef.

"Hi, Beth. Has Mick finished with the big meeting yet?"

"Not that I know of. So, I take it Josef filled you in on everything."

"Yeah. It's a little scary, knowing the guys are on this list. I hope some of the others on the Council have an idea of who's doing this."

"Me too. So, have you ever been to a Council meeting," I asked her.

"No. Vampire business, Josef always says. I think I know everyone who is on it though."

"Really? Who?"

"Aside from Mick and Josef, there's Guillermo, Logan, the three Cleaners, Daryl Morgan and his wife."  
"Interesting. I guess I know most of them too."

"Were they all on the list? Josef said you've seen it."

"I saw Logan and Guillermo. I don't know the real names of the Cleaners. I didn't notice Daryl or his wife, but I just got a chance to look at the list once."

We chatted a few more minutes, and then agreed to try the guys at midnight.

Midnight came and went, with no word. I called, and left a message on Mick's voice mail. Simone called me and had not heard from Josef either. I even called Guillermo and Logan, with no luck there. If they were really involved in solving this mystery, I didn't want to disturb them. I fell asleep on the couch and woke at three a.m. I checked my messages, although I knew the phone would have awakened me immediately. I called Simone, knowing she too would be awake.

"Mick told me they were meeting at his place." I told her. "You want to go with me, just to see how things are going? He will likely send us away, but at least we'll know they're okay."

"I've already been to Josef's home and his office. He wasn't there," she said. "I'll meet you at Mick's."

Simone stood waiting outside Mick's apartment. She had knocked, with no answer. I knocked again, myself. I looked into the security camera and said Mick's name. I pressed my ear to the door, but heard nothing. We looked at each other, worry creasing our foreheads.

"I have a key," I said quietly. She nodded. I found it in my purse, and pressed the button of the remote entry. I pushed open the door, and we went inside. No one was there. The lights were dim, and the gas fire was still burning.

"Mick?" I called. I went to his office, which was open, but he wasn't there. I went up the stairs to where he kept his freezer. He wasn't in there, either. Then, I heard Simone scream my name. I ran down the stairs to find her on the floor behind the couch, tears running down her cheeks. My heart skipped a beat and then sped up to an unbearable rate.

"What is it?" I asked. She held up her hand. It was covered in blood from the dark pool on the floor I hadn't noticed earlier.

"Oh, my God!" I looked around in the kitchen, and around the living room, but could see no signs of struggle, no more blood anywhere else. I took some deep breaths, and helped Simone to the kitchen to wash her hand. We were both in tears by then, but I tried to calm myself down.

"Simone, we've got to get it together. They might need us. Breathe with me." She seemed near hysteria, and I knew it wouldn't take much more to push me there too, so we concentrated on inhaling and exhaling together a few times.

"Okay. I'm okay," she said a few minutes later.

"Good. Now, let's think. No sign of struggle. No one is here." I pulled out my phone and called again. "No answer." Simone was trying Josef. She shook her head, and I thought she was going to cry again. I grabbed her hand.

"Focus, Simone. Do you know any other vampires that we could call? That might know where they could be?"

"No. The vampires on the Council were all that I knew, including the Cleaners. But only vampires know their numbers."

"We can't call the police," I said, thinking aloud. Then, a thought occurred to me, but it would could risk exposing the entire vampire community. I looked back at the blood on the floor. It could be Mick's. Or Josef's. My heart turned over, and I couldn't dwell on that or I'd lose it completely.

"I think we should call Ben Talbot."

"What? Beth, we couldn't get his help without telling him what they are."

"I know. But he knows about the list. He has been getting calls from the killer. It's only a matter of time before he is told or figures out they're vampires. That list had Vlad the Impaler on it, for God's sake!"

"Josef and Mick would be furious. This is the only thing they ask of us, Beth—keep their secrets. We would be betraying them in the worst way. Let's give them a few more hours, then we can talk about calling Talbot."

"But what if they don't have a few hours? Simone, the blood—"

"Yes, but what could Talbot do? He's a human too. He has no power over whoever or whatever is killing vampires. Beth, I'm just as terrified as you are, but we have to have some faith that they can take care of themselves, that they're still out there--"

My phone rang. We both jumped, and my heart leapt in renewed hope. But it wasn't Mick. It was Ben.

"Ben. You're calling late." I tried to sound calm, but my heart was racing again.

"Beth, I don't know how to tell you this. I just got another call from the list maker. He told me to cross off four more names on the list. St. John and Kostan are two of them. Tell me he's wrong. Tell me they're with you."

"No," I said. "No. Ben, they're not with me. We can't find them. Any of them. Oh, my God. Please. You must be mistaken. I don't believe it, Ben. Oh, God."

Simone, hearing me and seeing my face, let out a yelp of pain. I made my decision then. I had to ask Ben for help. I couldn't let myself believe that they were gone. If there was the slightest chance this was a mistake, that they were still alive…

"Beth? Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm at Mick's. Simone is with me. She's Josef's girlfriend."

"I'll be right over, Beth. What's the address?" I gave it to him, and hung up. Simone and I did what any strong, educated, independent women would do under the circumstances. We sat on Mick's couch, hugging each other while we cried.


	5. Chapter 5

The knock on the door startled us, and I practically ran to it. I half hoped Mick had just forgotten his key. On the monitor, I saw Ben, so I let him in, trying hard not to let my disappointment show.

"Ben, thanks for coming. I don't know what to do now. Simone and I are going insane here."

He walked in to Mick's apartment, looking around in appreciation. I looked at the place anew through Ben's eyes. Great artwork, great furnishings. Mick had good taste. It was all so surreal now that Ben was here, but Mick was…not. I had to physically shake myself to keep from breaking down again. "You remember Simone. She helped my cousin Ricky. And she was involved in the Monaghan case."

"Simone," he acknowledged. He turned to me. "I think it's about time you told me about St. John and Kostan, don't you? If I'm going to help you, you have to tell me the truth. Everything, Beth."

I bit down on my lip, and then looked at Simone. She nodded, her tear-stained face set in a mask of fear. We had no one else to turn to. We all sat down, and I took a deep breath.

"What I'm going to tell you, you have to swear on your life you won't tell another soul, or you may as well just leave now. I trust you, Ben. I know you don't have any reason to trust me lately, but believe me, when you hear what I have to tell you, you'll understand why I've had to keep things from you. I had no choice. Until now."

Ben looked at each of us, gauging whether he could keep his word. Finally, he said. "I swear. Now, tell me."

"I believe all those people on that list are…are vampires. Mick and Josef included."

He looked at me, obviously not believing.

"Beth, come on. I said to tell me the truth. I don't feel like playing games with you. You can't expect me to believe something so farfetched. Really, now. What's this all about?"

"I am telling you the truth. I've seen it with my own eyes. Experienced it first hand." I reached up and pulled off the scarf from around my neck. I knew Mick's bite from this morning was still clearly visible. "Look. Mick bit me just today. He uh, drinks my blood. Josef drinks Simone's." She pulled up her sleeve and showed him recent signs of Josef's feeding.

He leaned forward and peered with shock and disgust at the twin puncture marks on each of us. "What kind of sick bastards are they?"

"They're not sick, Ben. I'm telling you, they're vampires. They drink blood to survive. They have superhuman strength. Those pictures you have of Mick surviving a hit and run weren't fake. It takes a lot to hurt him, and only a couple things can actually kill him. I'm telling you, this is the truth. I swear it."

He was looking at both of us as if we were nuts. I didn't blame him. There was much more I could tell him, about Mick's life, his age, his sensory powers. But I wanted to keep as many of his secrets as I could. I just prayed to God it wasn't all moot now.

"Suppose I believe you," Ben said. "Are you saying that all the people on that list are vampires? Have you seen some of those names, Beth?"

"I know. It's a lot to take in. But whether you believe me or not, there was a vampire meeting here tonight, and now they are all gone and unreachable. And there's blood on the floor. There have been four murders lately, and Mick has been investigating them. Those names you've had to cross off your list have been known vampires, Ben."

"Why are they being killed? Who's doing it?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. One of the reasons for the meeting was to see if they could figure it out." It hit me anew. What if they really were gone? Dead? I tried to comfort myself with the knowledge that with the other murders, the bodies were left at the murder site. I told as much to Ben.

"So what happened to all those bodies?" Ben asked, ADA mode kicking in.

"The vampires clean up their own messes. It helps protect the community."

I was trying to be as vague as possible.

"Can you help us?" Simone had been quietly listening to us talk. Her voice was shaky, but I also heard the hopefulness.

He looked at both Simone and I in silence a moment.

"I really don't know what I can do. This guy contacts _me_, and the number has been untraceable—believe me, I've tried. He did say no police, and up until now I've followed that advice because there was no evidence that anything was happening except weird phone calls. But now I've seen blood in two places, so it might be time to bring in the police now."

"No!" Simone and I said together.

"No police, Ben," I begged. "We're already risking their secrets by talking to you about this. I only hope Mick will understand. If he's not—" I couldn't finish the sentence. Ben reached out and touched my arm.

"I'll help you find him, Beth. I'll do as much as I can. But the police have forensics. They can help us."

"Please don't. I—"

Ben's phone interrupted me. He took it out of his pocket. "Talbot here." His face was grim, and he nodded to me. It must be the killer. "Where are they?" he asked the caller. "I can't do that. I…now wait a minute!" He listened a moment to the person on the other end. "Okay." He closed the phone and stood up.

"He says the last four bodies are at Griffith Planetarium."

"Ben, this has got to be a trap. Have they ever told you the locations before? They've always called the Clea—other vampires and told them the location of the bodies."

"Your friends with the van."

I nodded. Then, I looked around Mick's apartment. "Only they were supposed to be here tonight. At the meeting." I felt my throat tightening up. No. I wasn't going to go there. Not yet.

"Have you ever wondered why _you_? I mean, why did they send you the list? Why are they calling you when vampires die? Why do they want you at Griffith Planetarium?"

"I don't know the answer to any of those questions."

"What about what he told you, about one being the key to all?"

"How'd you know about that?" I wasn't about to tell him that Mick had super hearing.

"It doesn't matter. Who is _the one?_" I said.

"I've no idea. The list is so varied. It could be anyone. But I really should get to the Planetarium now, don't ya think?"

"No. I don't think I can bear this." Simone came over, hooking her arm through mine. Oh, God. I didn't want Ben to go. If their bodies were there, then this would be real. This would be true.

"Wait, Ben. You said four bodies?" I looked at Simone, then counted in my head quickly. I had been so caught up in the idea of Mick and Josef being dead, that I hadn't been thinking clearly.

"There should have been at least nine at the meeting. This means maybe there are some other vampires that can help us. I'll call Guillermo and Logan."

No answer for either of them. Just voice mail. I called information for the Stake and Fang, Daryl Morgan's bar. I took a second to look at my watch. It was almost four a.m. Maybe a vampire bar stayed open until dawn. On the fourth ring, someone picked up. I could hear the sound of rock music, talking, and the clink of glasses. "Hello. Is Daryl Morgan there, please?"

"Speaking," said a deep voice. I almost collapsed with relief. "Daryl, this is Beth Turner. You remember me from Josef Kostan's poker game?"

He laughed. "Now how could I forget you, Beth? What can I do for you? You're up a little early for a human."

"Thank God you're alright. Did you know about the Council meeting tonight?"

"Yeah," he said hesitantly, and I knew he was trying to decide how much I knew, how involved I was in vampire business.

"I'm at Mick's right now. And they're gone. They're all gone. And there's blood on the floor." I felt the tears flowing again at my own words. "Someone called and said there were four more bodies at the Griffith Planetarium. Please, Daryl. You gotta help us. Simone and I don't know what to do."

"My wife and I will be over in a minute. Stay put."

I closed my phone and looked at the two intense faces looking back at me. "Daryl Morgan is coming. He's a vampire," I told Ben. "He said to wait for him."

"How well do you know this guy, Beth? Can he be trusted?"

"He's a friend of Mick's and Josef's. That's good enough for me. I thought he would be at the meeting. Thank God he wasn't."

Daryl was there in ten minutes. I saw him and a beautiful, dark-haired, dark-eyed woman looking up at me through the monitor. I opened the door, and in walked one of the most gorgeous men I'd ever seen. Well, aside from Mick, of course.

Daryl nodded at Simone, but stopped short in front of Ben.

"Who's this?" he asked me.

"Daryl Morgan, this is Ben Talbot. He's an assistant district attorney." It felt odd making polite introductions when my whole world was falling apart.

"Why is he involved?" I quickly explained about the list, and sheepishly told Daryl how I thought there was no choice but to tell Ben what they are.

"I thought every vampire I knew was dead," I concluded simply.

"Not all of them," he said, trying to be reassuring. "I'm here, and this is my wife, Carrie." The beautiful woman smiled calmly, and I felt calm right away. She was very…soothing somehow.

"I didn't go to the meeting tonight.," Daryl was saying. "There was a big private party at the bar. I was waiting for Mick to call and fill me in on what was decided." Suddenly, he got a whiff of the blood from the floor. He and Carrie walked right to it, sniffing the air. A look of understanding passed between them. I realized that Carrie hadn't said a word, but seemed to communicate much with her eyes and her expressions.

"This is vampire blood," Daryl said. "Female vampire blood." That was interesting.

"Do you know whose it could be?" I asked. Carrie nodded.

_It's one of the Cleaners_, she said. Or did she? Her mouth hadn't moved, but the thought came to my head as if she had spoken the words. _I'm a telepath. _She explained in my head. Before I could get over that overwhelming information, Daryl was speaking again. "Griffith Planetarium you say?"

"Yeah," said Ben. Daryl walked right over to Mick's book shelves, pulled out some books, then brought out a long box that had been hidden there. He opened it, and we all could see Mick's arsenal. A vampire killing kit. He began loading Carrie and himself down with weapons.

"What's all this?" Ben asked.

"I've got a feeling we're going to have a show-down with whoever is behind all this. We need special weapons if we're dealing with vampires." Daryl looked at us—three humans. "You three better stay here. Carrie and I will handle this. If not, I know a few more vamps that I can call."

"Not on your life," I said. "If there's a chance that Mick and the others are alive, I want to be there. There must be some way I can help."

"Beth, if Mick _is_ alive, what do you think he'd do to me if I let you come?"

He had a point, but that wasn't going to deter me.

_Don't even think about it, _came Carrie's "voice" in my mind.

"You can read my mind too?" I asked her.

_No, I can just put my own thoughts into yours. But it doesn't take a mind reader to guess what you're planning. I'd do the same for Daryl. But I'm also a vampire._

I looked around. No one else seemed to be able to hear Carrie but me. She apparently just "spoke" to one mind at a time.

"Fine. But call me here, Daryl. When you can." There was no way in hell I'd be waiting around here for that call.

Daryl looked suspicious at how easily I had given up. But he didn't have time to make sure I meant what I said.

"Okay. I'll call you as soon as I can. Don't worry. Carrie and I can handle this."

They nodded to Ben and Simone, then left the apartment.

"I'm going too," I said when they were gone.

"If we are really talking about vampires here, Beth, don't you think we should leave it to other vampires to stop them? I mean, I still am not sure I believe all this, but I saw those weapons Morgan was taking. Metal stakes? Silver bullets? I have half a mind to call the police, but I don't want any cops to get hurt with that stuff. And I'm way outta my depth here."

"Beth," said Simone. "If you're going, then I'm going with you." I squeezed her hand in gratitude.

"Dammit, Beth," Ben said, sighing loudly and raking his hand through his hair. For a moment, he sounded just like Mick. I almost smiled. It didn't matter, vampire or human; I guess I was an equal opportunity exasperator.

"I guess I don't have a choice. I can't let you two go up there alone. We'll take my car."

"Thanks, Ben." I walked by Mick's weapons box. There was still a gun left. I grabbed it, and a box of bullets. "Just in case," I said. Ben was still shaking his head as we walked out of Mick's apartment. I only hoped to God that we weren't too late.


	6. Chapter 6

_Note: If you have been to the Griffith Observatory, please forgive any liberties I took with the architecture or features of the building…_

It was nearing dawn, and high atop Mt. Hollywood, the dome topped Griffith Observatory and Planetarium's lights were still visible. I had visited there many times, so I knew, it being Monday, it wouldn't be open that day. I was certain the killer knew this as well. We drove a little too fast for the winding road that led to the observatory. About a half-mile from the top, a car was parked on the side of the road. It occurred to me that it must be Daryl's car, and that he and Carrie had proceeded on foot from there, wanting to take the killer by surprise. But they already knew Ben was coming, so we drove on and entered the parking lot. Any other time, I would have thought it was peaceful up there in the early morning; there was a great view of the city.

"Drive around to the back," I said to Ben.

"Sure." He did, smirking at my bossiness. There, near the service entrance, was a nondescript van. The same van the Cleaners used. Ben apparently recognized it too. We parked behind it.

"I don't see Morgan anywhere," said Ben. He began to get out of the car. You ladies stay here. Let me get a look around first."

"Not on your life," I said. I pulled out Mick's gun, which I'd loaded on the way, and Simone and I got out too. He didn't even try to argue this time. This high up, a steady, cool breeze blew, and I was glad I had on a sweater. Fear of a different kind gripped me. Up until then, I was only thinking of Mick and the others; now I realized that my life might now be in real danger too. I went over to the van, and peaked in the windows. They were tinted totally black. I tried all the doors, and the back was was unlocked, so I opened it cautiously, gun drawn. Ben was right at my back. Inside the van were cleaning supplies, brushes, heavy-duty vacuums—anything you could think of to clean up a murder site completely. Then my eye caught sight of a black body bag, way in the back of the van. The morning light was still very dim, but it looked like the bag was…occupied.

Ben had seen it at about the same time. I looked at him, my heart in my throat. Without a word, he climbed into the van and, hunched over, walked back to the body bag. Gingerly, he unzipped it. I couldn't see from where I was standing outside who it was.

"A woman. In two parts, Beth. Don't come in here."

"What does she look like?" I asked.

"Long, dark hair, in a ponytail. Black leather clothes."

Simone and I looked at each other. "We know who she is, but not her name. And she's a vampire. _Was _a vampire." I didn't know her, but she had performed an important service to the vampire community. I was sad she'd been so viciously murdered. Ben walked back to the van door and hopped down. He turned to me, putting his hand on my arm.

"Don't go into the building," Ben said. "I don't want you to see what might be in there. If this is any indication of what could have happened to the others…." He let his thoughts trail off, and I knew he was trying to protect me. But one way or another, I had to know.

"Ben, I'll go crazy if I have to wait outside, not knowing what's happening in there, what you've found. Please—I have to know."

I noticed that the service entrance of the observatory had been pried open, and it hung awkwardly, slightly open. Simone said, "Daryl and Carrie are probably already inside. I wonder why the security system isn't blaring. No guards either, apparently."

"I'll let you girls go in, if you give me the gun. And let me go first." I debated a minute, worried about the control I would be giving up. It didn't look like Ben was going to budge on this point, and I briefly thought of turning the gun on him. But, I liked my job, so I handed him the gun. "Stay behind me," he said, and reached for the door. It took him a couple of hard pulls to get it open, and then we were in. We walked into a short corridor, dimly lit with emergency floor lights. At the end of the hall was a door leading inside the exhibit hall. We went in, seeing and hearing nothing. We hadn't walked two steps when someone pulled both my arms behind my back with one hand and put their other hand over my mouth. Someone else had Ben in the same position, the gun yanked from his hand. I struggled a minute before a voice in my head said:

"It's us, Beth. Be quiet." Carrie. Simone had apparently seen them first and hadn't reacted at all.

I went still, and she let me go. I could see the fury in Daryl's eyes, which had gone vampire silver, visible even in the faint morning light that was beginning to stream through the skylights.

"I knew this would happen," Carrie was saying in my mind. "There are vamps here, and they can smell you and most likely hear you. They know you're here. They know we're all here."

"Where are they?" I barely whispered, knowing Daryl and Carrie would both be able to hear.

"This way," she "said", leading the way. She had Mick's small steel bow caster, loaded with a thin, pointed, silver stake, held before her. Ben and Simone could immediately see the lay of the land, so followed us without a word. Daryl brought up the rear, holding the gun I'd taken in one hand, a second pistol in the other. I caught the glint of a lethal looking machete hanging from his belt. Carrie was taking us to the domed planetarium's front entrance. There seemed to be only one way in.

At that moment, a loud mechanical sound reached our ears. I recognized that sound. The dome was sliding open. A few minutes later, the noise ceased, and we stayed at the door listening. We could feel the slight outside breeze seeping in through the cracks around the doors. Then, a familiar female voice beckoned to us.

"Come in and join us." Carrie looked at Daryl, who nodded once. They readied their weapons and opened the double doors.

I wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited us. Dawn's soft light was coming through the open dome. In the circular room, rows of reclinable chairs were arranged so patrons could watch the shows about space that would be projected on the dome when it was closed. Opposite where we stood at the opening, still somewhat in shadow on the west side, stood the head Cleaner. She was dressed in her usual black garb, but her once severe ponytail was slightly askew, long wisps of red hair escaping around her stern face. At her side was Cleaner number two, in a similar state. Both held guns aimed at us. Then my eyes focused on four seats down the stairs in the front row.

I gasped. There they were: Guillermo, Logan, Josef…and Mick. What looked to be silver shackles surrounded their arms, legs, and necks, on chains that were wrapped and padlocked around the slightly reclined chairs. Each of them was staked, their eyes wide open, dazed, unfocused. They looked dead, but I felt relieved that they likely weren't, given the fact that they all still had their heads. The four henchmen who stood guard at each one, ornate machete in hand, could change that status at a moment's notice.

"Mr. Talbot," said the head Cleaner, "So nice of you to come. I didn't expect you to bring…guests." She looked at each of us in turn, appearing not in the least bit troubled by the arsenal Daryl and Carrie had pointed at her.

"And Daryl and Carrie. We missed you at the Council Meeting. But you're here now, so you can witness what could happen to you if you don't cooperate. Throw your weapons away now, if you please." They did so, reluctantly.

Daryl smiled dangerously, indicating the four vampires on the front row. "Silver chains _and _stakes. A little bit of overkill, don't ya think?"

She laughed without humor. "I like to be on the safe side. Miss Turner, Miss Walker. Your boyfriends are none the worse for wear, I assure you." She looked up at the open sky. "Until around high noon, I should say, when the sun gets pretty fierce up here. But we have awhile yet, to work things out."

I finally found my voice, and heard it tremble. "What do you want? Why have you done this?"

"I learned at the Council Meeting last night that you are also privy to my little list. Tell me, Beth—may I call you Beth?—what do all of those names have in common?"

"Well, the names I knew were all vampires, of course," I replied, pleased my voice no longer shook. She stepped forward slightly, into the light. The sun would start affecting her too, soon, I realized.

"Yes. All vampires. All vampires who have somehow managed to draw undue attention to themselves. All vampires whose messes I and Cleaners before me have had to clean up over the centuries. Vampires who've had no trouble violating our code of secrecy, jeopardizing our way of life for their own selfish gains. We took care of blatant threats, like the Monaghans, but others on that list are just accidents waiting to happen. Like your friend Mick, here." She pointed with her gun toward my beloved, and it was all I could do not to run down the stairs and put myself between her and him. I felt Ben grip my arm, as if anticipating my actions.

"Just in the last few months, Mick has allowed himself to be in the news more times than I can count. A photographer took his picture as he survived being hit by a car. He's taken up with a human, and let her in on our secret. We've had to clean up several messes he's been involved with. I've no doubt it won't be long until he's totally exposed what he is."

Her gun moved toward Josef. "And Mr. Kostan here. Oh, he loves being the center of attention, with his public charity functions, his freshie parties, his unsuccessful turnings. And he very publicly survived a bombing not long ago. And the other two, Guillermo and Logan—they help these two idiots all the time!"

She was really getting into her sermon now. "Every last person on that list has risked all our lives, and its been going on for centuries. They're involved in government, sports, religion, politics. I mean, look how prominent vampire lore is in human culture! And its getting worse all the time. My business has increased ten-fold in the last five years. Cleaners like me have had to take care of all these vampires' irresponsible actions, and I'm sick of it!" She calmed down, but not before her eyes had taken on a glow and her fangs had extended past her lips.

She looked at Daryl and Carrie. "And don't get me started on you two. A vampire bar? The Stake and Fang? I mean, where's the neon sign that says _vampire owned and operated_? The Council was supposed to handle all of this, to discipline those who screw up. But now most all the Council is a group of screw-ups, so we Cleaners have decided to take action on our own. Laws will be more stictly enforced. Punishments will be harsher. You must live peaceful lives, out of the limelight, with no accidents, or suffer the consequences."

Ben finally found his voice. I wondered how he was handling watching the Cleaner briefly vamp out a minute ago. His calm voice betrayed nothing. "So, why me? Why am I involved in this vampire craziness? I had no clue about your world, and wish I still didn't."

"Mr. Talbot, a good question. I hope you didn't mind speaking to my good friend Simon," she said, indicating the muscular crony guarding Mick. He nodded respectfully at Ben. "You, my dear Mr. Talbot, are The One," she continued. "The One who is the key to all."

The four of us looked at each other, not comprehending.

"The key to what?" asked Ben.

"The key to our very survival. I need a human on the inside to help me. A human who understands the rule of law and punishment and respects it as much as I do. I knew you had already started investigating Mick. You don't like unanswered questions, such as those surrounding your and Beth's recent abduction." She watched a light go on behind his eyes. "Yes, those were vampires who held you. Thankfully those morons are dead now--I was the one who cleaned up that little disaster, by the way. Because of your personal experience, I could see in you a possible ally." She smiled, seeming very happy with herself. "Jessica Cunningham found out my plan and was poised to fill you in before I was ready. But, uh, she didn't get a chance to do that."

The woman hired at the DA's office when I was. The last kill from the list.

"So here is what you will do for me," she continued to Ben. "You will report to me when a human is involved in vampire business. You will watch out for any unexplained disappearances or unusual deaths. You are the key to keeping more humans and vampires alive."

"And if I refuse?" Ben asked.

"More vampires on that list will die. And any humans involved with any vampires will die. Starting with these two unfortunate women, here."

"You've got real control issues," Daryl said wryly. "What about our vampire friends?" He glanced down at Mick and the others. "What do you plan to do with them?"

"Their punishment is a day's worth of roasting in the sun. I like these guys, really I do, and don't want to see them dead. For them, they have a warning. When they're near death from exposure and the need to feed, I'll release them. So, if you and Carrie will come sit there beside them, you can be sufficiently warned along with them." She nodded to her cohorts, and they advanced toward us. Carrie's voice suddenly came to my head. "When I say so, you duck, and push your friends down with you." It was only a beat later that her command roared in my brain.

"Now!" she seemed to yell. I tackled Ben and Simone beside me and we fell to the ground in a heap behind the top row of chairs.  
"Stay down!" I whispered to them. Then, all hell broke loose.


	7. Chapter 7

The worst moment of my life was when I heard Beth's voice in that amphitheatre. When you're staked, you're paralyzed, trapped inside yourself, unable to help anyone, yet totally aware of everything going on around you. It was the worst kind of torture. And it had all started at the Council meeting, eight hours earlier.

All the members of the Council, save Daryl and his wife, had arrived at my place at the appointed time of nine o'clock. I updated them all on what had been happening with the bodies and the list. The Cleaner went along with me, inserting her thoughts about the list and the identities of the victims. I wish I had picked up on her mood then, or the strangeness of the "extra security" she had brought with her—namely, her four cleaning helpers. Had I been more alert, I wouldn't have ended up helpless in the planetarium

Everyone on the Council had their opinions of what to do, of who was the author of the list. We hadn't reached any conclusions, but all agreed to be more vigilant, to take no unnecessary risks. The meeting was winding down, and I vaguely remember the Cleaner in deep discussion with one of her associates—Cleaner Number Three, as I thought of her. The prettiest one, in my opinion, whom I'd considered dating before Beth came along. Next thing I knew, Number Three's voice rose, and she was saying: "No! I won't do it!" Seconds later, she was dead on my floor, beheaded by Cleaner Number One. While we watched in shock, her four goons had simultaneously staked us, and we fell to the floor, stunned. When I think of it now, it was brilliant. Completely unexpected. Methodically planned. And, next to when Coraline turned me, the biggest betrayal of my life.

We were tossed like rag dolls into rolling laundry bins, transported down the elevator into their waiting van. My mind was racing, trying to figure out why she had done this to us, what her motives might be. She'd kept us in the dark until she stood above us in the amphitheatre, explaining her master plan to Beth and the others.

I lay in the soft light of dawn, knowing that in a couple of hours, the sunlight would start to feel unbearable. I felt the distant numbness of the stake through my chest, but my mind was by no means numb. Mostly, what I was feeling was fury. Fury at my own gullibility, and how my friends and I were about to suffer because of it. And then there was Beth. I hope she truly realized how much danger she was in, although, knowing her, she wasn't thinking about herself at all. I knew her worry and love for me had brought her there to try to save me. I also knew that if I got out of this alive, I was going to kill her.

Then, like an angel's, Carrie's voice entered my mind. "It's okay Mick," she told me. "Daryl and I have a plan. I swear, I'll protect Beth with my life. Sit tight," and she chuckled softly at her joke, trying to put me at ease. I appreciated the thought, but it wasn't working.

When the shooting started, I discovered a whole new definition of hell. And for the first time in a very long time, I began to pray.

From my vantage point on the floor behind the chairs, I watched in awe as Daryl and Carrie, in perfect synchronicity, reached in their pockets and pulled out the stakes they'd gotten from Mick's. As if anticipating their actions, the Cleaners had time to fire off several rounds before I heard the sickening sound of the stakes hitting their marks. As they fell, a few final shots flew wildly, ricocheting off the walls or into the open sky. By that time, their henchmen had made it up the stairs, machetes at the ready. But the Cleaners should have had Daryl and Carrie searched, because they each pulled their own machetes they'd attached to their belts, complements of Mick's vampire kit.

It was four against two, and I hoped to even the odds a little more.

"Ben," I said, over the clashing of metal, "Go find a gun!" He was way ahead of me, and had been much more observant than I. He went right to where Daryl had thrown his guns earlier. Daryl and Carrie were holding their own, however, and soon at least one head bounced down the stairs, rolling macabrely near Mick's feet.

"Mick!" I gasped, and I ran around to another set of stairs that led down to my four friends. I glanced up and saw that the goons were occupied by Daryl and Carrie, so I bent over Mick. His beautiful eyes stared straight up, unseeing.

"Oh my God, Mick," I whispered, placing my hand on his stiff face. "I'll get this out of you." I grabbed hold of the stake. It wouldn't budge. I changed my grip and tried again. Still, it wouldn't give. It was like trying to pull the sword from the stone, but I wasn't King Arthur.

Two shots rang out, and another crony fell, thanks to Ben. Two down. There was a lot of jumping, kicking, and growling above me. I saw Ben trying to get a clear shot without hitting our rescuers, so, from somewhere deep inside myself, I summoned all my strength and pulled one last time. I held the freed stake in my hands in disbelief, and felt the tears start to fall as Mick gasped in relief. "Beth…" Despite the danger around us, I threw myself on him, hugging him with all my might, kissing him all over his face. He was still confined to the chair, immobilized by the silver chains, and there was nothing I could do about that because of the padlock.

I glanced over and saw Simone struggling with Josef's stake, so I moved to help her. When we finally got it out, Josef let out his breath in a _whoosh_. "Thanks," he whispered, "I needed that!" Before he could say another word, Simone was passionately kissing his lips.

Another shot was fired, and I looked up to see a third man fall, and, simultaneously, Daryl beheaded the last one with a neat slash of his blade. At last there was silence. Carrie and Daryl effortlessly jumped down the stairs to join us, making quick work of removing Logan and Guillermo's stakes.

"Uh, we can't touch those chains without gloves," Daryl said.

"She must have the keys on her," I said, going to the Cleaner. As I patted her down, it was all I could do not to twist the stake in her chest. I found the keys in her jacket pocket, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to confront her. Though her eyes were blank, I knew she could hear me.

"Justice is a bitch, isn't it," I murmured.

Ben came down to help, and, after unlocking Mick and removing the manacles, I passed the key to him and Simone. They all were free in minutes. We laid them on the floor of the planetarium. I knew they would all need to feed again soon to regain their strength. The increased brightness of the room wasn't helping. I went to the control panel in the middle of the room, and found the button that would close the dome again.

I heard Ben's indrawn breath, and turned to look. Josef was already feeding on Simone's proffered arm. Ben was looking with a mixture of fascination and abhorrence, as Josef feasted in a kind of ecstatic frenzy. I planned to do the same with Mick, but having an audience was a little disconcerting.

Daryl picked up on the situation right away. "Talbot," he said. Do me a favor and go down to my car that I parked off the road. There's a cooler in there with blood bags." He indicated Logan and Guillermo. "These guys are gonna need it to regain their strength. And the sun is starting to get a little too bright for me to go. I'd appreciate it." He tossed the keys to Ben, who seemed more than willing to hightail it out of there.

To give us some semblance of privacy, Daryl and Carrie began cleaning up the mess. The cleaners and two of their helpers were still alive, though paralyzed by stakes or silver bullets. I didn't know what was going to happen to them, but I had a pretty good idea. The majority of the Council was still alive, and I knew vampire justice would be swift.

I turned to Mick, who was sitting up by now, though looking incredibly weak. I pulled him into my arms, pushing his head into the curve of my neck. "It's okay," I whispered. "I know you need me right now." He planted a sweet kiss there, before saying, "I won't take much. You just fed me yesterday…" And then he bit down.

It took a little while for me to recover from the weakness of being both staked and chained in silver. Beth's blood was a great help. More than her blood, was the bliss of being so close to her again, the relief that she was okay. It was hard to stop drinking from her, but I forced myself to because I didn't want her too weak from the blood loss from two days in a row. The little I had was enough of an energy boost that I could get to my feet, and survey the damage.

Daryl had gotten body bags from the Cleaners' van, and Carrie had brought the cleaning supplies. It occurred to me that we would need to find some more cleaners, and it would be hard to find ones as discreet as these had been. I looked over at the head Cleaner, and although I still felt rage, I also felt very sad. I thought she had been a friend. I think I took betrayal a lot worse than other vamps I knew.

Josef had finished with Simone's arm, and seemed to be recovering quickly. He and Simone went to stand beside Beth and me, feeling a little guilty that we were too weak to help much with Daryl and Carrie. Carrie looked in my direction.

_Good to see you guys up and around. Sorry you missed out on all the fun, _she said in my mind.

She looked at Josef and likely said the same thing, for he chuckled. "Yeah, it sounded like it was fun," he said. "From where I was sitting, though, it was damn frustrating."

By this time, Talbot had returned with the cooler, and gave Daryl back his keys. "I parked your car by the van," he said.

"Thanks, man. Glad to have you on our side." They shook hands. Carrie took the cooler and knelt down by Logan and Guillermo. She put a tube to each one's lips.

Talbot was his usual blasé self, even in the midst of what must have been a very shocking experience. He caught my eye and walked back down the stairs to us.

"St. John. I always knew there was something…different about you. I never would have guessed it was something like…this." His eyes were drawn to my two friends who were feeding from the blood bags.

"Well, I guess Beth felt she had no choice but to fill you in. I'm sure you appreciate why we must be so secretive." I hope he was getting the warning note I was trying to insert into that sentence. If he exposed us, I would have to kill him. "I wish you had left Beth at home, though."

"I tried, believe me."

"Let me guess…you told her to stay in the car."

He laughed. "Yeah. She's not very good at following orders, is she?"

"You've figured that out already, eh?"

Beth nudged me with her elbow. It smarted a little more than it would have normally. "Hey," she said. "I'm right here!"

Josef looked at Talbot, his manner deadly serious, despite the casualness of his words. "So, what do you plan to do with your new-found knowledge?" The eyes of all the vamps turned to him.

He looked around at all of us, no doubt struggling with what he knew was right before the law, and what he had seen that day. He chose wisely.  
"As long as vampires aren't killing humans, I'll protect your secret. What you do with your own people, well, that's your business."

We all could agree with that on the surface, but we knew very well how sometimes "accidents" happened. No one was about to admit to that, however.

Logan and Guillermo were coming around after the infusion of blood. Carrie helped them sit back down in a chair, while Daryl was busy trying to find bullets still stuck in the walls. He was prying them out with a pocketknife. Beth left my side a minute to go ask if she could help scrub the floors where the vamps had been beheaded. I smiled as she grimaced at the puddles of blood, but I admired her dedication.

Carrie shook her head. I'm sure she was communicating to her silently that she and Daryl would handle it. I walked over to Daryl to thank him I was overwhelmed at how he had saved us, and still managed to protect Beth and Simone at the same time.

"I know you'd do the same for me, Mick. And for Carrie." He looked over at his wife. We tried to hide our chuckles at sophisticated Carrie, down on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor. _I heard that,_ she said in my head.

"Hey, if you guys do a good enough job," I ventured, "maybe you could be our new Cleaners."

"Uh, no thanks, man. The bar keeps us busy enough and I'd prefer to work with the living dead, not the _dead _dead." I extended my hand, which he shook, then drew me in for a rough embrace. It was like hugging a mountain.

My laugh was muffled against his hard chest. "Thanks for everything," I said when he finally let me go.

"You'll just owe me." He raised his voice, including all of us: "Hey, why don't you guys go and get into your freezers for awhile? No offense, but you look like you need a few days at least."

"Yeah," said Josef. "But you look like that every day." Daryl laughed but didn't even try to get into a battle of wits with Josef. No one could win that war.

I took Beth's arm. I noted how Ben Talbot was helping Logan and Guillermo to their feet, and they were heading for the stairs. I hated to admit how he'd come through for us.

Simone and Josef were heading out too. Carrie and Daryl would use the van to transport our prisoners, and we would borrow their car along with Talbot's to get the rest of us home. We agreed to have their trial that night.

Beth and I rode with Ben. We sat together in the back seat, holding hands, her head resting against my shoulder. I caught Ben peaking at us in the rearview mirror, but I was feeling no jealousy now. When we reached my apartment building, I felt a wave of mental exhaustion overtake me, along with a wave of gratitude. When we got out of the car, I reached in the driver's side window and shook Ben's hand. No words passed between us, but I looked him square in the eye. We had an understanding now. Now that he knew I was a vampire, I had nothing to fear from him. Now that I was in his debt, he had nothing to fear from me.

"Take the day off," he said to Beth. She reached in the window herself and kissed him softly on the cheek. I didn't even flinch. "Thank you, Ben," she said.

As he drove away, I automatically shielded my face with one hand against the morning sun. But, truth be told, I was very happy to see it.


End file.
